A bill prefiled for the 2026 Alabama legislative session would change how the Courts treat young people charged with serious violent crimes.
House Bill 11 (HB11) sponsored by State Representative Phillip Pettus (R-Killen) would bar judges from giving youthful offender status to anyone 16 years old or older charged with intentional murder or capital murder. If passed, the measure would make that decision automatic and remove judicial discretion that currently exists under state law.
Under the State’s current Youthful Offender Act, people under 19 can be tried as youthful offenders. That process limits sentencing and shields records in certain cases. Judges decide whether someone qualifies on a case-by-case basis…